Julie Pryor

About me:
Five years at MIT helping neuroscientists communicate their research to the world. Before that, made documentaries in Appalachia, Iceland, and Alaska. Married to a forester. Raising a 6-year-old superhero. Addicted to the outdoors. Rabid Springsteen fan.

Why I'm running the marathon:
At first it was simple: run to honor the legacy of Sean Collier. But it’s much bigger than that. I am a member of the MIT community – running this marathon means representing the family who lost a son, a campus who lost its guardian, and a community that lost its way last April. It would also mean representing my cousin, a Boston Police officer who responded to the call in Cambridge and dodged explosives on his pursuit of the suspects through the streets of Watertown. This marathon will be both intensely personal and much, much bigger than I can possibly comprehend. But when I saw the MIT community form a one-mile human chain along Vassar Street from the Collier Memorial to the MIT Police Station in memory of Sean last April, I realized how fortunate I am to be a member of this remarkable family. Yes, we lost our way last April, but we’ve regained our bearings. I am so very proud to represent the MIT family and crank Sean’s favorite song (“Toes” by Zac Brown) as I cross the finish line – indeed, “life is good today….”